Head rest for reclining chair



Jan. 20, 1959 J. s. PETERSEN ETAL 2,869,619

HEAD REST FOR RECLINING CHAIR Filed April l5, 1955 v 5 Sheets-Sheet l 13@ 130 Lip/ 10g 13g gn Wal/5MM@ Jan. 20, 1959 J. s. PETERSEN ETAL 2,869,619

` HEAD REST FOR RECLINING CHAIR Filed April 15, 1955 l 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan- 20, 1959 J. s. PETERSEN ETAL 2,869,619

HEAD REST FOR RECLINING' CHAIR I N VEN TORS.

Jan- 20, 1959 J. s. PETERs-:N ErAL 2,869,619

HEAD REST FOR RECLINING CHAIR Filed April 15, 1955 5 sheets-sheet 4 133 13/ E 126 A08 6 J2 Jan. 20, 1959 J. s. PTERSEN ErAL 2,859,619

v HEAD REST FQR RECLINING CHAIR Filed April l5, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. f iv @y 1m/gm Mnmw,

HEAD REST FR RECLNING CHAIR John S. Petersen and Ray H. Bleeker, Kenosha, Wis., assignors to Simmons Company, Kenosha, Wis.

Application April 15, 1955, Serial No. Stlnidd 1 Claim. (Cl. 15S-107) This invention relates to reclining chairs and particularly to adjustable head rests for such chairs.

f It is an object of the invention to provide in reclining chairs, a head rest Whose position relative tothe back of the chair will afford proper head support in the sitting position and in the reclining position as well as in intermediate positions, and will particularly lend itself to the comfort requirements of persons of taller stature. A more specific object of the invention is to provide, in reclining chairs, a head rest which is automatically adjusted relative to the back of the chair as the latter is adjusted by the occupant. A further object of the invention is to provide, by means of an automatically extensible head rest, a chair which in normal sitting position portions for home use, but which when reclined will provide comfortable support for the head of the occupant. A further specific object of the invention is to provide a head rest for reclining chairs or the like which can be adjusted manually to support the head of the occupant in an elevated position while the occupant reclines in `the chair, as is desirable, `for example, while reading in the reclined position, but which can be readily returned Aby the occupant to its normal position without requiring the occupant to move from his reclining position.

Other objects will `become apparent as the invention is explained with reference to the following drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment:

Figure l` is a perspective view of the general type of chair to which the invention pertains;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the skeletal frame of a chair of the type shown in Figure l, with certain parts broken away to facilitate the illustration of otherwise hidden parts;

Figure 3 is a sectional `elevation taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and sho-wing all of the linkage by means of which the several members of the chair are `automatically adjusted as an incident to the reclining of the back; p

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but` showing the chair in the reclining position with the head rest extended and adjusted to an elevated position to prop up the head of an occupant;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the chair similar to Figure 3 but showing, for the sake of clarity, only the linkage for adjusting the head rest;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing for the sake of clarity only the linkage for adjusting the seat and operating the leg rest;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the head rest showing its normal position in full lines and its extreme elevated or forward position in broken lines; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing the head rest proper adjusted to a sustained, elevated position.

riey, a reclining chair in accordance with the invention is provided with a head rest which is movably supcan assume what are normally regarded as pleasing proi ice ported on the back of the chair at its upper end and connected by means of suitable linkage or other operating means to a portion of the chair with respect to which the back of the chair is relatively movable, in order that as the back of the chair is reclined, the head rest is extended away from the upper end of the back, and generally in the plane of the back, to provide extended support for the head of the chair occupant. in the reclining position. The head rest is desirably made in two parts, the part which provides direct support for the occupants head being forwardly or upwardly adjustable to a number of positions sustainable by means of a suitable ratchet mechanism, but also being readily and quickly readjustable to the normal position by merely pulling the movable part of the head rest to its forwardmost or uppermost position against the action of a suitable spring, and then abruptly releasing the head rest from this extreme, forward position.

Referring to Figure l, a `chair in accordance with the invention includes the usual supporting frame 10 which also provides arm rests, a movable back 12 and seat 14 which in the preferred embodiment are separate members but are correlated in their movements by suitable linkage to be later described. The seat and back may, within the scope of the invention, be connected together as a unit. An adjustable leg rest 16 is connected in the illustrated case to the seat of the chair at its front edge and is similarly adjustable automatically in response to movement of the back and seat. A head rest 1S, with which the invention is particularly concerned, is mounted at the upper end of the back 12 but is not an integral part thereof.

Referring to Figures 2 to 6 inclusive, the stationary supporting frame 1d consists of two side panels 20 which may be fabricated of wood, an-d which may be provided with support legs 22 depending upon the style of the chair. The side frames are connected together by fro-nt and rear cross members 24 and 26, and the cross members are also connected together from front to rear by a middle brace 28 which further serves as the pointof attachment for part of the head rest extending linkage. The structural members of the side frame panels 2t) are suitable located within the panels to provide appropriate points of attachment for the back 12 and the seat 14.

The structural portion of the chair back l2 is a relatively flat wooden frame comprising opposed `side members 3d connected together at their -tops and near their bottoms by suitable cross members 32 and 34, and having secured thereto suitable wooden fillers 36 (Fig, 2) to provide proper points of attachment for the upholstery in accordance with the design of the chair. Secured to each side member 3d of the back frame near its lower end is a metal mounting plate 38 which is suitably pivoted as by means of a shoulder rivet 40 or the like to a metal plate d2 secured to the side panel 20 of the chair. The fixed pivots dd are the primary support for the back ofthe chair.

The structural portion of the chair seat 14 likewise consists of a wooden frame comprising side members 44 connected together by front and rear cross members 46 and 4S. At each rear corner, the seat frame is provided with `an upstanding angle bracket 50 secured by screws or bolts to the underside of the seat frame, and pivoted at its upper end as at 52 to the mounting plate 38 of the back at a point disposed well above and somewhat forwardly of the pivot 4d of the back to the side panel 2h.

Secured to the underside of each side member of the seat frame in its forward portion is a second bracket 54 consisting of a piece of angle iron or the like, to which there is pivoted a support link 56 which is disposed at a relatively small angle with the horizontal in normal chair position (Figure 3) and which is pivoted at its rear end to a metal strap 58 secured to one of the structural members of the side panel of the stationary frame. The upper end of the metal strap 5S is turned inwardlyto provide a stop or support 60 for the seat, and thus to determine the normal sitting positionof the chair.

The leg rest of the chair is a two-part expansible structure, the framing elements of which are essentially two co-planar parallel boards 62 and 64 slidably connected to one another by means of a pair of bars 66 secured to the lower board 64 and slidably retained within suitable guides 68 secured to the Vupper board 62. At each end of the upper board 62 there is provided an angle bracket 70 to which is riveted the lower or outer end of a bent hanger arm 72, the other end of which is pivoted to a mounting plate 74 secured along the sides of the seat frame to the angle bracket 54 beneath the seat. The hanger arms 72" one at eachside of the chair, are bent in a gooseneck shape to clear the lower front edge of the seat, the pivots for the hanger arms being located substantially above the seat frame within the confines of the seat upholstery.

While each of the foregoing principal elements of the chair has been described by reference to its skeletal structural parts, it will be appreciated that each is upholstered in any convenient manner'to provide resilient body support surfaces generally at the locations shown by broken lines in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, as will be appreciated by reference to Fig. l.

By comparison of Figs. 3 and 4, it will be apparent that as the back of the chair is tilted rearwardly about the main pivots 40, the seat is carried rearwardly by means of its pivotal connection 52 to the back, and that the forward end of the seat is pitched upwardly by the support link 56. The ultimate reclining position of the chair may be determined by any suitable stop means, as for example by the engagement of the back frame with the rear cross member 26 of the stationary frame.

The linkage for controlling the position of the leg rest relative to the seat in response to movement of the seat and back (see Figs. 4 and 6) comprises a thrust link 76 pivoted below the main stationary pivots 40 to a metal strap 28 secured to the side member 30 of the back frame at its lower end, and pivoted at its front end to the mid portion of a multiplier arm 80 which is pivoted to the angle bracket S4 secured to the underside of the seat. The outer end of the multiplier arm 80 is pivoted to a second thrust link S2 which is in turn pivoted at its forward end to the hanger arm 72 of the leg rest. Thus when the back of the chair is reclined, its portion disposed below the main pivots 40 is shifted forwardly, acting through the link 76, multiplier arm 80, and thrust link 82 to swing the leg rest upwardly, as indicated by Fig. 4.

The linkage for separating the two portions of the leg restto provide extended support consists of a lever 84 pivoted approximately mid-way to the mid portion of the forwardthrust link 82 of the leg rest elevating linkage, and pivoted at its inner end to a drag link 86 which is also pivoted to the angle bracket 54 on the underside of the seat. At its forward end, the lever 84 is pivoted to a thrust link 88, the other end of which is loosely riveted to a plate 90 secure-d to the lower board member 64 of the leg rest. Therloose connection of thrust link 38 to the plate 90 accommodates the slight shifting of the link 88 relative to the lower part of the leg rest.

The illustrated chair as thus far described is a combination of features some of which are old in the art of reclining chairs, and some of which are disclosed in the co-pending application of Matthew F. Bayer, Ser. No. 404,418, filed January 18, 1954, now Patent No. 2,804,910, Vgranted September 3, 1957, and assigned to the assignee of this invention. Apart from their cooperation with the head rest extension mechanism now to be described, they are not specically a part of the present invention.

The novel head rest of the invention likewise comprises a structural framework to which suitable upholstery is applied in accordance with design and functional requirements. It consists essentially of two parts, a wooden supporting frame 92 and a movable front panel 94 hinged at its lower edge to the supporting frame 92, and bearing the upholstery padding for supporting the occupants head. The supporting frame 92 includes upper and lower cross members 96 and 9S connected by suitable side members 100 and by a central member 102 which also provides partial support for a novel ratchet mechanism 104 for adjusting the two parts of a head rest relative to one another in accordance with an aspect of the invention which will be later described.

Connected to the head rest support frame 92 at each of its sides is a guide rod or tube 106 (Fig. 2) securely anchored in the head rest frame 92, and slidably received within a well or channel 108 in the frame of the chair back. Connected to the head rest frame 92 at its mid point and extending downwardly through. the center of the back frame is a thrust rod 110 which is slidably supported in suitable ways, as for example, in holes 112 in the cross members 32 and 34 of the back frame. At its lower end, the thrust rod 110 is connected by means of a short link 114 to an arm 116 which extends forwardly beneath the seat of the chair and is pivoted to a metal plate 118 secured to the center member 28 of the stationary frame. Pivoted to the mid-portion of the arm 116 is a second link 120 which is also pivoted to a bracket 122 secured to the underside of the rear member 48 of the seat frame.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that as the rearward portion of the seat is elevated and drawn rearwardly bythe reclining of the back, the arm 116 isl lifted by the link 120, and acts through the short connecting link 114 to extend the thrust rod 110 upwardly v through the back, thus separating the head rest 18 from the back 12 as the latter reclines.

Referring to the head rest proper, as particularly shown in the enlarged views of Figures 7 and 8, the forward selectively adjustable part comprises essentially the panel 94, which is co-extensive with the head rest frame 92 and pivoted to latter by means of a pair of hinges 124 at the bottom edges of the two members (see also Fig. 2). The movable panel 94 forms the base for upholstery, the outline of which is indicated by broken lines in the drawings. A helical spring 126, connected between a screw eye 128 secured to the lower `cross member 98 of the head rest frame, and to an angle bracket 130 secured to the head rest panel 94, normally maintains the two parts of the head rest together, as indicated by the full line portion of Figure 7.

The forward, pillow portion of the head rest may be elevated from or moved forwardly from its supporting frame 92 against the action of the spring 126 and maintained at one of two elevated positions by means of a ratchet memberj132 which is pivoted to an angle bracket 134 secured, along with the spring bracket 130, to the movable panel 94 of the head rest.

The ratchet member 132 is in the form of a closed loop which encompasses a pin 136 secured to a metal plate 138 fixed to the central member 102 of the head rest frame Y92. On its upper inside edge, the ratchet member is provided with two pin-engaging shoulders 140 for sustaining the swingable front part of the head rest at either of the two elevated positions. More remotely from the ratchet pivot, the inside, pin-engaging surface of the ratchet member is disposed at an obtuse angle to theline of the pin engaging shoulders 140 so that as the front or pillow portion of the head rest is drawn farther forwardly than the full-line, sustained position of Figure 8, the ratchet member is cammed upwardly about its pivot to the broken line position of Figure 7. In the latter position, as will be apparent from the drawing, the pin-engaging shoulders 140 are disposed well above the pin 136. The spring 126 is preferably very strong in relation to the weight of the ratchet member and in relation to the mass or inertia of the pillow portion of the head rest, so that when the head rest is abruptly released from its forwardmost position, it will return under the force of the spring 126 to the full line position of Fig. 7 without intermediate reengagement of the shoulders 140 with the pin 136.

To assure the return of the parts to the closed position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 without re-engagement of the ratchet shoulders with the pin, the ratchet member is preferably proportioned to make best use ofits inertia. Referring particularly to the broken line portion'of` Fig. 7, it will be seen that the bulk of the mass of the ratchet member, which may be stamped or cut from plate stock, is disposed above a line extending between the pivot of the ratchet and the abutment pin 136. More importantly, its center of gravity is disposed in that position above `a tangent to the arcuate path of its pivot at the pivot, this tangent being taken to be the line of action of the force 'exerted upon the ratchet member by the panel 94 when the latter is abruptly released and allowed to recede under full force of the spring 126. Thus the force exerted on the ratchet member by the moving panel 94 produces a moment opposed to that caused by gravity, and enhances the effectiveness of the spring 126 which would otherwise depend solely upon producing a rearward acceleration suicient to move the ratchet shoulders rearwardly out of the range of the pin 136 before the acceleration due to gravity caused their re-engagement.

The abrupt return of the forward, pillow portion of the head rest has the further advantage of neutralizing the effect of friction at the ratchet pivot, inasmuch as the momentum accumulated by the ratchet on the return movement of the head rest under the action of the spring 126 forcibly returns it to the full line position of Fig. 7

as the panel 94 contacts the support frame 92. The shock of the return of the panel 94 against the frame 92 is cushioned in part by the entrapment of air Within the frame 92, which is covered on its rear side with upholstery material, as will be understood.

The foregoing arrangement for extending the head rest automatically as an incident to the reclining of the back of the chair assures the proper placement of cushion support for the head of the occupant, and the provision for uninterrupted return of the movable pillow portion of the head rest to its normal closed position permits its independent adjustment bythe chair occupant without direct manipulation of the ratchet mechanism and Without requiring movement of the occupant out of the reclining position.

The features of the invention believed to be new `and patentable are set forth in the appended claim.

We claim:

A reclining chair comprising a normally stationary supporting frame, a back pivoted to said frame for movement from normally upright sitting position to a reclining lounging position, a seat movably supported in its forward portion on said frame and pivoted at its rear to said back for upward movement of' its rear end as the back reclines, a head rest movably supported on said back at the upper end thereof for movement toward and away from said back generally in the plane thereof, a thrust member connected to said head rest and extending downwardly through said back to the lower end thereof, an arm pivoted to said frame beneath said seat and extending rearwardly from its pivot and being movably connected to said thrust member, and a link connected to said seat and to said arm for lifting said arm and moving said thrust member upwardly through said back as the latter is reclined thereby to extend said head rest.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 242,733 Yengling .lune 7, 1881 305,845 `Poolman et al Sept. 30, 1884 455,168 Case .lune 30, 1891 530,092 Daniels Dec. 4, 1894 711,412 Archambeault Oct. 14, 1902 2,154,017 Tonning Apr. 1l, 1939 2,434,007 ODea Jan. 6, 1948 

